Late Obama Appearance Ruffled Cliff Talks

By

Peter Nicholas

Jan. 1, 2013 1:02 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON–With negotiators finally making progress toward averting the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama on Monday staged a public appearance that for a few anxious moments seemed to derail the talks.

The event was part progress report, part pep rally, as the president announced that a deal was "in sight." At the same time, he put Republicans on alert that he wouldn't let them "shove spending cuts at us" that would hurt middle-class families and said future deficit deals would require more tax...